Jack Harvey is a Director and Co Owner of IBC Security Limitada with some thirty years as a security professional.
Remember Laika the first living animal in Space, the arrival of ‘Peanuts’ (Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock) by Charles M. Schultz, the death of James Byron Dean by car crash, discovery of DNA (National Association for Dyslexia??), or The Beatles debut in Hamburg, Germany?
Standing at the top of the stairs with an empty glass in one hand and a Post Card in the other wondering what you were going to do? Yep! You are over sixty!
The Permanently Bewildered Jet Set!! Anyway – it’s proven – we ‘Wrinklies’ are becoming a majority! As fewer babies are born and we ‘Duffers’ are living longer, we can now witness the Worldwide emergence of a New Generation: the Over-Sixties! So what’s all this about – is Jack perpetuating his Senior Moments? And what’s it got to do with security? Just my way of segueing into another hybrid of the old Intruder Alarm panel technology which, may just assist with improving our longevity and Independence?
Introducing - The Social Alarm, now known as PERS - Personal Emergency Response System or Medical Alert. I once picked up me Mum’s Woman’s Own magazine sometime in the Sixties, and was intrigued by an advert introducing an ‘Emergency Box’ that had a humping great red mushroom button dead centre.
In the event of an emergency, the user could stagger over to it and bash the button – preferably not with the head! This box produced a continuous pre recorded message and a dialling ‘gizmo’ programmed to call a nominated telephone number. When activated the tape would say Help! Help! Help! (original eh?) followed by the callers name and address to an agency that answered the phone.
This particular ‘Emergency Box’ was simply an advanced ‘Bandit Alarm’ which was used widely throughout United Kingdom Banks in the early days. In fact one of the first Bandit Alarms I ever came across – as a young alarm engineer - was a beautifully made wooden box – varnished - with dovetailed corner joints and piano hinges on the lid. Inside was a Garrard gramophone (for non Wrinklies an upmarket record player) deck, and on the turntable was a pre recorded 45 rpm record – not unlike those you could cut yourself for half a crown in a recording booth in Victoria Station, London – have I lost anyone under sixty yet?
Around the edge of the turntable was a series of pegs – like a giant musical box. When a hand or foot panic button was pressed, the deck would turn and the pegs would strike a relay which pulsed out 999 down a selected telephone line, which had a direct connection to the United Kingdom Police Agency. The record simultaneously began its “Bandit! Bandit! Bandit!” routine followed by location details.
The whole thing was brilliant as long as no one gave it a clump, which would send the stylus arm skidding across the grooves and the best the Emergency Services would get would be “Bandit? Bandit! Bandit! …..zzzziiiiittt…..road, London”.
The burdening growth of the elderly (must confess I don’t feel elderly or even burdening) on civilized societies due to increased longevity, got the innovative ‘bone domers’ going, to find an alternative to hospital and nursing home costs and to keep us out of establishments that cater for the Permanently Bewildered. What AM I doing with this glass and Post Card?
This offspring of the Intruder/Bandit alarm – and now greatly refined by the ‘whizz bang teckies’ - is designed to assist elderly or disabled people living at home who may be in a risk situation. However the use of this PER’s unit is not just intended for us ‘Oldun’s’ only, as there are others in the risk category.
People living alone, parents of children with physical or mental illnesses, epileptics, paraplegics or diabetics – in fact anyone who may need to call for assistance quickly. Short term users could be people recuperating at home after illness or an operation, single parents or those suffering from stress and upset from bereavement.
Sort of like a Reboque or Automobile Association for Zimmer Frame drivers! It amused me when I was with Marconi Security, because, as the oldest member of the Company I earned the nickname ‘Zimmer Man’ – and at the time I was a mere stripling of fifty something and an expectant father (again), plus I was keeping up with the ‘Technical Shakers and Movers’ of the Security Industry! (and I swear none of them was over fourteen!). Is this a glass and Post Card I see before me? S
So where has the PER’s got to now? Well first and foremost it has progressed to a small radio transmitter which can be worn as a pendant or a wrist watch. In the event of feeling a bit ‘wobbly’ or even perhaps having taken a tumble, the pendant button can be pressed. This fires off an encoded message which is received by a dedicated 24-hour Central Monitoring service. The ‘Central’ automatically identifies the User and their Medical History and their exact location through GPS (Global Positioning System) with coordinates on a Google Map. A two-way speech channel to the PER’s Unit is opened to communicate directly with the User. With Voice Contact established the trained ‘Central’ Operator will reassure and identify action to be taken.
If Emergency Services, Family or Friends are required then they will be immediately notified and all vital information relayed. The Two-Way speech channel can only be closed once the User advises the Operator they are safe. The whole idea is to allow active people – with an acceptable level of marbles in the net - who live alone but have a risk and, who do not want to ’veg’ out in an Hospital or Nursing Home, but want to maintain their independence with the re assurance that there is a reliable lifeline - available when required.
The Personal Emergency Response Service has already arrived in Portugal as ‘GUARDIAN’ thanks to the Innovation of IBC Security Lda, based in The Algarve, so perhaps when I earn my ‘Zimmer Man’ title proper I’ll apply for one.
Now, the glass and Post card, Maria tells me there is a whacking great spider in the bath that requires evicting……….or was that yesterday?
Jack Harvey has local and international experience in electronic security systems and can be contacted via the IBC Web Site : www.ibcsecurity.com.
